Numbers 26:1-51
Moses Takes Another Census of Israel
26 After the plague the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar, son of the priest Aaron, 2 “Take a census of the whole community of Israel by households. List those who are at least 20 years old and eligible for military duty.”
3 So Moses and the priest Eleazar spoke to the Israelites on the plains of Moab near the Jordan River across from Jericho. They said, 4 “Take a census of those at least 20 years old, as the Lord commanded Moses.”
These are the Israelites who came from Egypt:
5 Reuben was Israel’s firstborn. The descendants of Reuben were the family of Hanoch, the family of Pallu, 6 the family of Hezron, and the family of Carmi.
7 These were the families of Reuben. The total number of men was 43,730.
8 Eliab was the son [a] of Pallu, 9 and Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram were the sons of Eliab. (It was Dathan and Abiram, men chosen by the community, who defied Moses and Aaron’s authority. They joined Korah’s followers when they defied the Lord’s authority. 10 The ground opened up and swallowed them along with Korah. They and their followers died when the fire consumed the 250 men. This was a warning. 11 But the descendants of Korah didn’t die.)
12 The families descended from Simeon were the family of Nemuel, the family of Jamin, the family of Jakin, 13 the family of Zerah, and the family of Shaul.
14 These were the families of Simeon. The total number of men was 22,200.
15 The families descended from Gad were the family of Zephon, the family of Haggi, the family of Shuni, 16 the family of Ozni, the family of Eri, 17 the family of Arodi,[b] and the family of Areli.
18 These were the families of Gad’s descendants. The total number of men was 40,500.
19 Er and Onan were sons of Judah, but they died in Canaan. 20 The families descended from Judah were the family of Shelah, the family of Perez, and the family of Zerah.
21 The descendants of Perez were the family of Hezron and the family of Hamul.
22 These were the families of Judah. The total number of men was 76,500.
23 The families descended from Issachar were the family of Tola, the family of Puah,[c] 24 the family of Jashub, and the family of Shimron.
25 These were the families of Issachar. The total number of men was 64,300.
26 The families descended from Zebulun were the family of Sered, the family of Elon, and the family of Jahleel.
27 These were the families of Zebulun. The total number of men was 60,500.
28 The families descended from Joseph ⌞through⌟ Manasseh and Ephraim were 29 (from Manasseh) the family of Machir (Machir was the father of Gilead) and the family of Gilead.
30 The descendants of Gilead were the family of Iezer, the family of Helek, 31 the family of Asriel, the family of Shechem, 32 the family of Shemida, and the family of Hepher. 33 (Zelophehad, son of Hepher, had no sons—only daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.)
34 These were the families of Manasseh. The total number of men was 52,700.
35 The families descended from Ephraim were the family of Shuthelah, the family of Beker, and the family of Tahan.
36 The descendants of Shuthelah were the family of Eran.
37 These were the families of Ephraim’s descendants. The total number of men was 32,500.
These were the families descended from Joseph.
38 The families descended from Benjamin were the family of Bela, the family of Ashbel, the family of Ahiram, 39 the family of Shupham,[d] and the family of Hupham.
40 The descendants of Bela (⌞through⌟ Ard and Naaman) were the family of Ard and the family of Naaman.
41 These were the families descended from Benjamin. The total number of men was 45,600.
42 The family descended from Dan was the family of Shuham.
This was the family descended from Dan. 43 The total number of men in all the family of Shuham was 64,400.
44 The families descended from Asher were the family of Imnah, the family of Ishvi, and the family of Beriah.
45 The descendants Beriah were the family of Heber and the family of Malchiel.
46 (Asher had a daughter named Serah.)
47 These were the families of Asher’s descendants. The total number of men was 53,400.
48 The families descended from Naphtali were the family of Jahzeel, the family of Guni, 49 the family of Jezer, and the family of Shillem.
50 These were the families of Naphtali. The total number of men was 45,400.
51 The total number of Israelite men was 601,730.
Footnotes:
- 26:8 Ancient scribal tradition; Masoretic Text “sons.”
- 26:17 Genesis 46:16, Samaritan Pentateuch, Greek, Syriac; Masoretic Text “Arod.”
- 26:23 Samaritan Pentateuch, Greek, Syriac, Latin; Masoretic Text “Puvah.”
- 26:39 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Samaritan Pentateuch, Greek, Syriac, Targum, Latin; Masoretic Text “Shephupham.”
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Luke 2:36-52
Anna’s Prophecy
36 Anna, a prophet, was also there. She was a descendant of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was now very old. Her husband had died seven years after they were married, 37 and she had been a widow for 84 years. Anna never left the temple courtyard but worshiped day and night by fasting and praying. 38 At that moment she came up to Mary and Joseph and began to thank God. She spoke about Jesus to all who were waiting for Jerusalem to be set free.
39 After doing everything the Lord’s Teachings required, Joseph and Mary returned to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee. 40 The child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor [a] was with him.
Mary and Joseph Find Jesus with the Teachers in the Temple Courtyard
41 Every year Jesus’ parents would go to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When he was 12 years old, they went as usual.
43 When the festival was over, they left for home. The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents didn’t know it. 44 They thought that he was with the others who were traveling with them. After traveling for a day, they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they didn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.
46 Three days later, they found him in the temple courtyard. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions. 47 His understanding and his answers stunned everyone who heard him.
48 When his parents saw him, they were shocked. His mother asked him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been worried sick looking for you!”
49 Jesus said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you realize that I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.
51 Then he returned with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them.
His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 Jesus grew in wisdom and maturity. He gained favor from God and people.
Footnotes:
- 2:40 Or “grace.”
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Psalm 60
For the choir director; according to shushan eduth; [a] a miktam by David; for teaching. When David fought Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and ⌞when⌟ Joab came back and killed 12,000 men from Edom in the Dead Sea region.
60 O God, you have rejected us.
You have broken down our defenses.
You have been angry.
Restore us!
2 You made the land quake.
You split it wide open.
Heal the cracks in it
because it is falling apart.
3 You have made your people experience hardships.
You have given us wine that makes us stagger.
4 Yet, you have raised a flag for those who fear you
so that they can rally to it
when attacked by bows ⌞and arrows⌟. Selah
5 Save ⌞us⌟ with your powerful hand, and answer us
so that those who are dear to you may be rescued.[b]
6 God has promised the following through his holiness:
“I will triumph!
I will divide Shechem.
I will measure the valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine.
Manasseh is mine.
Ephraim is the helmet on my head.
Judah is my scepter.
8 Moab is my washtub.
I will throw my shoe over Edom.
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
9 Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Isn’t it you, O God, who rejected us?
Isn’t it you, O God, who refused to accompany our armies?
11 Give us help against the enemy
because human assistance is worthless.
12 With God we will display great strength.
He will trample our enemies.
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 11:15
15 Whoever guarantees a stranger’s loan will get into trouble,
but whoever hates the closing of a deal remains secure.
Copyright © 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.